:LII K_\Hl\\ej D`iifi K_\Yljkc`e^k_\Xki\jZ\e\`e EP:Ëjdfjk[`m\ij\Yfifl^_`jXccXYflk glkk`e^k_\e\`^_Yfi_ff[fejkX^\ FLIK : 9PC M ((/ 8D EE changed, the goals of the company have not. the company’s traveling summer stage. D FFI< “We take issues that are of paramount concern The Game finds two men, one black and to the community and turn them into theatre one white, in the back of a library, playing a C\jc`\?Xii\cc;`cc\e`eJk\gdfk_\i`eXJXi`Xk pieces,” says Clay. Theatrical pieces such as game of chess. It quickly becomes apparent AXZbjfeI\g`eAXZbjfe?\`^_kj#Hl\\ej% Oh! Oh! Obesity, which addresses overeating, that the game in progress serves as an alle- Samson’s Way, which deals with gang violence, gory for race relations in the United States. “What sustains me is the idea that our theatre and Clear Vision, which examines teen preg- “They’re not so much playing chess as they is a reflection of our community.” nancy, illustrate that commitment. Each piece are dealing with the thoughts that we all have The theatre got its start in 1969 in the is an original work written by a resident of St. about other races,” says Clay. “This is the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church with Albans, which the company develops through stuff that people deal with in the privacy of Black Love, a piece that spoke directly to readings to full productions. their bedrooms when they talk about race.” F:KF9 Clay believes the issues raised in The Game are particularly timely: “Just because we have a black president, people think we don’t need to worry about discrimination anymore. But I think we still have things to talk about.” Once you get to Jamaica Center from St. Albans, it’s then a simple ride west on the E train to Jackson Heights, one of the nation’s first urban “garden communities,” where the streets are lined by block-long brick neo-Tudor apartment buildings with steep shingled roofs and turrets. Many of these CC@EJ buildings house private gardens, only glimpses 8IF E < of which can be seen from the street. E Jackson Heights is home to large Indian, ÊKnXjk_\E`^_k9\]fi\BnXeqXXXk9cXZbJg\ZkildK_\Xki\`eJk%8cYXej#Hl\\ej% Pakistani and Colombian communities, as well as smaller Russian, Argentine and Chi- among other things, learning English as a the borough), a series of 12 interwoven short nese populations, among enclaves of young second language, may inadvertently alienate works by 12 different playwrights, many of professionals. For Jackson Repertory The- some demographic groups in an attempt to them local (including Stefanie Zadravec, atre, the rich diversity of the neighborhood reach out to others. “How do you do work whose Honey Brown Eyes was published in the provides ample material for works inspired that celebrates all these different voices and February ’09 issue of this magazine). by and about the various cultures in flux, at the same time is visible to a broad range of “It’s not an evening of 12 short plays but also creates programming difficulties: people?” wonders Ari Laura Kreith, Jackson about Jackson Heights,” warns Kreith— Previous shows such as Stepmother in a Sari, Rep’s artistic director. This season, Jackson instead, she explains, it’s an “exploration about a white woman who goes to India for Rep will attempt to answer this question by of the emotional geography of the area.” her stepdaughter’s wedding, and No Solo Mio, developing and producing 167 Tongues (named The playwrights, as well as a choreographer an audience-participation solo show about, after the 167 different languages spoken in and a composer, will go through a series of ()' 8D F:KF9